Unit 2: Towards advanced
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Session 4
Vocabulary: 7 uses of 'light'
Sit back and relax as BBC Learning English brings you our version of Charles Dickens' classic novel 'Oliver Twist', while using the word 'light' in seven different ways.
Activity 2
Is it the end for Oliver?
Oliver's in danger
How do you think the story will end?
A) Oliver accidentally kills Sikes and Fagin
B) Sikes and Fagin die and Oliver is rescued
C) Mr Brownlow rescues Oliver and kills Fagin; Sikes escapes
D) Something else
To do
Watch the video and find out which option is correct. And listen out for three more uses of light.
ነቲ ቪድዮ ብምዕዛብ ነቲ ስራሕ ዕመምዎ

Mariam
Next day, when Oliver runs an errand for Mr Brownlow, he is caught by Fagin, and a man called Bill Sikes. They make him break into a house. This he does but as he enters the house he is shot by one of the servants. The others flee but, in the light of how young and innocent he seems, the family take pity on him and decide to let him stay where he is and nurse him back to health.
Fagin, Sikes and another man called Monks, are still keen to find and steal back Oliver. However, Sikes's girlfriend – Nancy – wants to help him, so she goes to the family. Nancy brings to light the fact that Monks is Oliver's half-brother and wants to kill Oliver in order to keep the whole inheritance. After this, Sikes is suspicious about what Nancy's up to and murders her. The evil Sikes then goes on the run but is chased and accidently hangs himself.
However, the family does track down Monks who is persuaded to tell them everything about the real story behind Oliver's birth. Monks is forced to sign over Oliver's share of his inheritance to Oliver. After that Fagin is found and executed for his crimes.
Happily for Oliver, he goes to live peacefully in a cottage in the countryside with the family and Mr Brownlow – far away from the crime and the danger that he had once faced.
Well, that's the end of my story. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to see you again soon.
To do
So, the correct answer was B) Sikes and Fagin die and Oliver is rescued.
Now let's practise the different uses of light. Have a go at this quiz.
What's the use of 'light'?
6 Questions
Choose the best expression with 'light' to fill each gap.
ሓገዝ
Activity
Choose the best expression with 'light' to fill each gap.
ኣመት
This expression means 'in a deep sleep'.Question 1 of 6
ሓገዝ
Activity
Choose the best expression with 'light' to fill each gap.
ኣመት
You need an expression that means 'because of certain facts'.Question 2 of 6
ሓገዝ
Activity
Choose the best expression with 'light' to fill each gap.
ኣመት
You need a phrase that means 'make something start to burn'.Question 3 of 6
ሓገዝ
Activity
Choose the best expression with 'light' to fill each gap.
ኣመት
You need a phrase that means 'give new information to help explain a situation'.Question 4 of 6
ሓገዝ
Activity
Choose the best expression with 'light' to fill each gap.
ኣመት
You need a phrase that means 'revealed something previously unknown'.Question 5 of 6
ሓገዝ
Activity
Choose the best expression with 'light' to fill each gap.
ኣመት
You need a phrase that means 'pale in colour'.Question 6 of 6
Excellent!Great job!ሕማቕ ዕድል!ዘመዝገብኩምዎ ነጥቢ ...:
Over to you
We asked you to tell us a story using as many of the phrases with light as possible:
- light (make something start to burn
- light (brightness)
- shed light on
- light
- out like a light
- in the light of
- bring to light
Your stories:
Utku, Turkey
When I was at home electricity went off suddenly. Then, I lighted the candles [BBC Learning English says: the past of light is lit]. My skin’s colour was like light under the candlelight. I ringed the supplier service up in no time. Tech shed light on the situation .They told me It’s due to maintenance on electricity substation. In the light of his remarks it is going to take for some time. I wasn’t so glad to brought this information to light. Then, I put out the all the candles. There was no light which might’ve disrupt my sleep. So I went out like a light soon.
_____________________
Zahid
Lighting the papers, which contain my earlier thoughts about Light Story, an idea lit my mind like a bulb. Why shouldn't I shed light on the process of the development of the idea itself. I took a light yellow paper to write on this brainchild. But soon I got too tired to think about it and got out like a light. [BBC Learning English says: the verb here is went, not got] I woke up next morning and decided not to think too much about that in the light of my last night experience. However, I felt ideas are coming now. This all could be possible because my mind brought all these weird thinking processes to light. I think it's not a very light topic as it requires tremendous thought process.
_____________________
Teresa, Málaga, Spain
Light story: 'The waiting'
The light of the sun was blinding in the middle of the desert an each time I breathed it was if the throat was lighting. I didn't understand the reason to go round the oasis but the turist guide shed light on the situation because there was other group there and we were waiting for them to leave the place which was too small for both groups at the same time.
The problem was that I was starting to see all around me in light yellow, and in the light of the symtoms I was on the verge of falling unconscious of insolation.
Finally we could get in there and a nomad man brought to light to us that we could take a break in the resting place, a tent where we could drink some tea. I was so tired that after I drank the tea I went out like a light and my partner had to wake me up because I was snoring. When I opened my eyes everybody was looking at me... I felt very embarrased!!
_____________________
Renate Gan
Last year I bought a Smartphone and was happy finding a flashlight Symbol on it. So I also can use the phone when I'm looking for my key in the dark. I even can use it when looking for an other subject matter.
The light in the dark is bright. The phone weighs only less than 150 gr. and is in light gray.
While I was busy handling with the new phone, I had been shocked by a detonation. Later the radio news reported, that the police had immediately started investigating the causes to shed light on the detonation.
In the light of the very strong detonation, it was lucky, that it had not complained any
victim.
Finally the police investigation brought to light: a faulte cable was the cause of the detonation and not terror.
Exhausted I entered my sleeping room and was obviously out like a light.
_____________________
Anastasia
When I was a student, I had a part-time job as a counsellor (or should I say «supervisor») in a summer camp. There were several groups of children from 7 to 12 years old, wearing a light-green uniform. Our best time of the day was evening, when we lit a big fire and were sitting around it telling stories and playing some games. One of them was cold the Mafia. Every child got a role of a common citizen, a policeman, a doctor or a killer and firstly no one knew who was who. The policeman by asking questions brought new facts to light, common people helped him and threw the light on what happened during the night. The killer did’t want to be caught, so he or she pretended to be a common citizen by answering questions like all of them. But in the light of the testimonies of witnesses he usually was caught. After the game was finished all the children went out like a light.
_____________________
Mario, Italy
In the light of the recent result of the so-called brexit referendum in the UK, I think that the 2008’s economic downturn has brought to light that it’s easier, by governments, to find a scapegoat than face problems efficiently. Before we start to light a fire and burn the European flag, we should shed light on the real causes of our poor economic conditions. I am very disappointed to see the colour blue of the EU’s flag becoming more and more a light blue. And whenever I think of this situation I find it difficult to turn the light off and be out like a light at night.
_____________________
Nicola
After finishing a time-consuming work in that afternoon, Louise sat in her flat's balcony, lit / lighted her cigarette, and started to read a book. The brightness of the sun made her book read less enjoyable than she wondered, so she returned to her office, which walls were painted in a light blue tone. She was reading about her family genealogy when she went out like a light. Suddenly, Arthur rang her. In the light of last information he got in the town library, he said that they might be siblings. His last research brought to light new information about his father early life. The news was devastating for Louise, but she was able to shed light on her mother's behavior about her relationship with Arthur.
_____________________
Antonella, Italy
I’m going to tell you a little LIGHT STORY about gloomy people and the light.
In the light of the last sad events many people seem to be bound to feel miserable and helpless. In addition there are many others who tend to always think negatively and moaning and whining for no matter reason. Sometimes they don’t stop even if light is being shed on the cause of their problems.
Well, I believe from the bottom of my heart they aren’t right. There are so many positive things which happens at any time and that deserve at least as much attention as the bad ones. For example did you know that light doesn’t make any shadow? If you light a match and you near it to a wall you can see it… isn’t that amazing? Hope you can be out like a light after reading this story.
_____________________
Next
That's the end of Session 4. In session 5, Tim from the Learning English team is back in the pronunciation workshop. Don't miss it!
Session Vocabulary
light(B1)
start to make something burnlight(B1)
brightnessshed light on(C2)
give new information to help explain a situationlight (A1)
pale in colourout like a light (C1)
in a deep sleepin the light of(C1)
because of certain factsbrings to light (C2)
reveals something previously unknownKEY
A1 = Beginner
A2 = Elementary
B1 = Lower Intermediate
B2 = Higher Intermediate
C1 = Towards Advanced
C2 = Advanced